Help! Trickle charge/battery condition without mains pwr
Discussion
Merry Christmas all!
Just had an SMS from my Scud telling me the battery is nearly flat. The problem is there's no mains power where it's parked, so the supplied Ferrari charger is no use. I've searched the forums but can't find any obvious solution.
Does anyone know of any jump start packs which offer this facility? Any other ideas? Any help much appreciated!
Thanks
PCMM
Just had an SMS from my Scud telling me the battery is nearly flat. The problem is there's no mains power where it's parked, so the supplied Ferrari charger is no use. I've searched the forums but can't find any obvious solution.
Does anyone know of any jump start packs which offer this facility? Any other ideas? Any help much appreciated!
Thanks
PCMM
Could you stick a leisure battery in the boot and connect it in series ? Might give several more weeks until it drains completely.
Not a car electrician so no idea if this will work but can't see why not. Temporarily I mean not seem permanent fox. Just plop in a fully charged one and connect somehow.
Possibly if the lighter socket is live with ignition off ( if you have one) battery in footwell connected remove when you go for a drive.
Not a car electrician so no idea if this will work but can't see why not. Temporarily I mean not seem permanent fox. Just plop in a fully charged one and connect somehow.
Possibly if the lighter socket is live with ignition off ( if you have one) battery in footwell connected remove when you go for a drive.
Edited by Pesty on Saturday 26th December 01:17
Series - definitely not! The voltages of the batteries would be summed - so you'd be supplying 24 volts into an electrical system expecting 12. Result = disaster.
You maybe meant parallel - so the capacities of the batteries are summed (i.e. More Amp-Hours = Lasts longer). However this is also not a great idea without some means of balancing between them. You'd need something a bit more sophisticated.
You maybe meant parallel - so the capacities of the batteries are summed (i.e. More Amp-Hours = Lasts longer). However this is also not a great idea without some means of balancing between them. You'd need something a bit more sophisticated.
Connecting two batteries in parallel isn't going to work (for reasons mentioned above).
However, you can buy/make a device that you can place between the two batteries which negates the issues of connecting them directly together. The device needs two features:
a) Step up the voltage of the second battery so the first can start to charge
b) Stop current flowing back into the second battery once charging has occurred.
It's not rocket science to build something that does this but there are products that do similar built for the motorhome market. They are for those really big motorhomes that tow another car - the device sits between the two and charges the car battery up.
Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-2024-07-Heavy-Multi...
Please note that I'm not recommending that particular item, it's just an example.
Once you've got your device you can buy a second battery, charge it up at home and then use it to top up the charge on the car.
Final warning: batteries are not to be messed with and cars are expensive. Please get professional advice.
However, you can buy/make a device that you can place between the two batteries which negates the issues of connecting them directly together. The device needs two features:
a) Step up the voltage of the second battery so the first can start to charge
b) Stop current flowing back into the second battery once charging has occurred.
It's not rocket science to build something that does this but there are products that do similar built for the motorhome market. They are for those really big motorhomes that tow another car - the device sits between the two and charges the car battery up.
Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-2024-07-Heavy-Multi...
Please note that I'm not recommending that particular item, it's just an example.
Once you've got your device you can buy a second battery, charge it up at home and then use it to top up the charge on the car.
Final warning: batteries are not to be messed with and cars are expensive. Please get professional advice.
There's a reason why you've found no solution 
If it's a communal garage, have a word with the people who run it to see if there's anything they can/will do (amazes me how many of these places have no provision for power).
If no dice, you either need to use it more or move parking place.
If it's a communal garage, have a word with the people who run it to see if there's anything they can/will do (amazes me how many of these places have no provision for power).
If no dice, you either need to use it more or move parking place.
In theory could you not get a garage to fit a battery isolator switch to the car? A couple of my cars have these (fitted as standard from the factories) and you simply just flip the switch and it cuts all power to the car. Eventually the battery will go flat even with the cut off switch activated however it should be quite a long time before that happens.
I thought there was already a battery isolator switch on all Ferraris ?
There certainly is on the front engined V12s - right next to the battery - a black knob your twist quarter of a turn.
Does the tracker have its own lithium battery like some of the alarm systems have, and its that battery that is failing ?
There certainly is on the front engined V12s - right next to the battery - a black knob your twist quarter of a turn.
Does the tracker have its own lithium battery like some of the alarm systems have, and its that battery that is failing ?
With a new battery installed, are there any views on using the battery isolator switch when not using the car for longer periods? I used to do this with success on an old 993.
If this would prevent the alarm from working I don't see this as an issue due to where the car is parked.
Is there a backup battery in the Tracker? Any idea how long this lasts?
Thanks all
PCMM
If this would prevent the alarm from working I don't see this as an issue due to where the car is parked.
Is there a backup battery in the Tracker? Any idea how long this lasts?
Thanks all
PCMM
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